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Three Types of Assessment
Formative Assessment occurs in the short term, as learners are in the process of making meaning of new content and of integrating it into what they already know. Feedback to the learner is immediate (or nearly so), to enable the learner to change his/her behavior and understandings right away. Formative Assessment also enables the teacher to "turn on a dime" and rethink instructional strategies, activities, and content based on student understanding and performance. His/her role here is comparable to that of a coach. Formative Assessment can be as informal as observing the learner's work or as formal as a written test. Formative Assessment is the most powerful type of assessment for improving student understanding and performance.
Examples: a very interactive class discussion; a warm-up, closure, or exit slip; a on-the-spot performance; a quiz.
Interim Assessment takes place occasionally throughout a larger time period. Feedback to the learner is still quick, but may not be immediate. Interim Assessments tend to be more formal, using tools such as projects, written assignments, and tests. The learner should be given the opportunity to re-demonstrate his/her understanding once the feedback has been digested and acted upon. Interim Assessments can help teachers identify gaps in student understanding and instruction, and ideally teachers address these before moving on or by weaving remedies into upcoming instruction and activities.
Examples: Chapter test; extended essay; a project scored with a rubric.
Summative Assessment takes place at the end of a large chunk of learning, with the results being primarily for the teacher's or school's use. Results may take time to be returned to the student/parent, feedback to the student is usually very limited, and the student usually has no opportunity to be reassessed. Thus, Summative Assessment tends to have the least impact on improving an individual student's understanding or performance. Students/parents can use the results of Summative Assessments to see where the student's performance lies compared to either a standard (MEAP/MME) or to a group of students (usually a grade-level group, such as all 6th graders nationally, such as Iowa Tests or ACT). Teachers/schools can use these assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses of curriculum and instruction, with improvements affecting the next year's/term's students.
Examples: Standardized testing (MEAP, MME, ACT, WorkKeys, Terra Nova, etc.); Final exams; Major cumulative projects, research projects, and performances.
cited from http://www.misd.k12.mi.us/departments/curriculum/instructionalservices/assessment/typesofassessment/
Examples: a very interactive class discussion; a warm-up, closure, or exit slip; a on-the-spot performance; a quiz.
Interim Assessment takes place occasionally throughout a larger time period. Feedback to the learner is still quick, but may not be immediate. Interim Assessments tend to be more formal, using tools such as projects, written assignments, and tests. The learner should be given the opportunity to re-demonstrate his/her understanding once the feedback has been digested and acted upon. Interim Assessments can help teachers identify gaps in student understanding and instruction, and ideally teachers address these before moving on or by weaving remedies into upcoming instruction and activities.
Examples: Chapter test; extended essay; a project scored with a rubric.
Summative Assessment takes place at the end of a large chunk of learning, with the results being primarily for the teacher's or school's use. Results may take time to be returned to the student/parent, feedback to the student is usually very limited, and the student usually has no opportunity to be reassessed. Thus, Summative Assessment tends to have the least impact on improving an individual student's understanding or performance. Students/parents can use the results of Summative Assessments to see where the student's performance lies compared to either a standard (MEAP/MME) or to a group of students (usually a grade-level group, such as all 6th graders nationally, such as Iowa Tests or ACT). Teachers/schools can use these assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses of curriculum and instruction, with improvements affecting the next year's/term's students.
Examples: Standardized testing (MEAP, MME, ACT, WorkKeys, Terra Nova, etc.); Final exams; Major cumulative projects, research projects, and performances.
cited from http://www.misd.k12.mi.us/departments/curriculum/instructionalservices/assessment/typesofassessment/
Assessment Tool Types
Anecdotal Record
An informal record of an event or behavior observed in the classroom. Benchmark Standards to help a teacher determine students’ progress in literacy development. Checklist An assessment guideline listing skills, behaviors, or characteristics to help guide and record teacher observations of students as they perform certain tasks. There are also student checklists that can be used by students for self-assessment purposes. Conference A meeting or conversation involving teacher, student, and/or family members to discuss a student’s progress. The purpose is to facilitate one-on-one exchanges, and allow the student to express him- or herself. In a parent conference, the basic purpose is to inform parents of their children’s progress and school performance. End-of-Year Test A formal assessment of specific skills taught during instruction throughout the year. Journal A notebook in which a student can write a spontaneous response to literature and/or assessment of personal progress with reading skills and strategies. Literacy Log A record of student literacy activities (for example “Books I Have Read”) to help students keep track of his or her own reading or writing progress. Students also use the logs for recording their personal responses to the literature. In some cases, a teacher can suggest prompts for students to use to stimulate thoughts. Students may also use logs to record words that are new, interesting, and entertaining. Oral Fluency An informal assessment of reading to determine oral reading errors or Assessment miscues. Observation An informal assessment technique of watching students to identify strengths and weaknesses, patterns of behavior, and cognitive strategies. Observations help determine which students need additional support and how to adjust instruction to encourage more and better learning. |
Oral Reading Assessment An oral and silent reading assessment used for diagnosing students’ developmental literacy levels through oral retelling and an individual reading inventory. Peer Assessment An instrument for helping students understand expectations and assess a classmate’s skills. Performance A form of informal or authentic assessment that measures students’ Assessment understanding of concepts and/or procedures by having them demonstrate what they have learned. For example, a teacher might have students find the square footage of a classroom to assess their understanding of area. Portfolio Assessment A form of authentic assessment in which students collect samples of their work in a portfolio to document their progress over time. Different types of portfolios include: showcase, which celebrates students’ best work; descriptive, which demonstrates what students can do; evaluative, which assesses students’ work against a standard; and progress, which documents students’ work over time. Project/ Independent work created by the student or a group of students. Rubric An evaluation tool that lists the important features that should be present in students’ performance or products. Rubrics clearly identify what will be graded. Self-Assessment Students develop their own list of characteristics or qualities to judge their own work. Students who learn to monitor their own progress and judge their own efforts will strive to improve. Standardized Test Test that measures students’ performance against standards or norms and can serve as potentially powerful tools for instruction. It is the most objective and scientific measure available for assessing students’ abilities. Writing Assessment A formal evaluation of students’ writing skills. |